Decision on Surgeon

[Maria]

Thanks to Work Comp I've arrived at a decision on surgeon and therefore surgery ~

My decision was influenced by movement for compromise and release which would be a monetary settlement and no future medical. I was told once again that surgery abroad would not be approved since I'd had numerous recommendations here and surgeons willing to do surgery and it was determined my medical/surgical needs could be met here by WCAB. However, should I choose to go abroad, the Compromise and Release would allow me to have a settlement which would be at least for amount of surgery costs here and the rest would have to be worked out altho it would likely not be over a certain amount.

If I choose to have surgery here in the U.S., once I reach Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) then I would settle and retain Future Medical. I hope this much is true considering L3 is still a disc that concerns me not to mention surgical outcome perhaps requiring future PM treatment (most likely I would imagine).

So I am choosing to go forward with Dr.Delamarter in Santa Monica, and to have a fusion at L5S1 which I was advised would be anteriorly and without hardware, and Prodisc at L4.

I am going to hope that my BMD isn't going to be an issue. I still think that Dr.Regan has the right idea about possibly getting on Forteo to build up BMD however, I don't know that I qualify in terms of parameters for use~ will have to see a specialist for this. I do have -2.8 t score for femoral neck.

Truly I would probably prolong another surgery to the end of time as I am afraid of more pain. I also have been much more mobile lately, walk more, sit for dinners and such at least for a while. My life isn't as ruled by pain as it's been in the past and I don't know what exactly is contributing to that EXCEPT that I've made some other decisions in my life that have reduced daily stress levels quite a bit.

Mind body connection must be jamming a bit